WEXFORD man Ian Jackman was among those honoured with National Bravery Awards at Farmleigh recently and on Wednesday last week his colleagues at the Talbot Hotel in the town gathered to congratulate him as well.

Ian's brave act was to jump into Wexford Harbour at night to save a drowning man, something at the time he said he didn't feel was an extraordinary act.

'It's something that anyone would do,' said Ian, a lifeguard at the Quay Leisure Centre, following the 2014 rescue.

The then-Mayor of Wexford, George Lawlor called him a hero and said his brave action saved a man's life.

By a stroke of luck, lifeguard Ian was sitting on a quayfront bench chatting to a friend when the man approached and spoke to him briefly before jumping into the harbour between two trawlers, across from the Bank of Ireland

Garda officers advised him not to go into the harbour after the man but he assured them he was a strong swimmer and was confident that he could rescue him.

He removed his clothes and holding a lifebuoy, swam out to the man and held on to him until the crew of the Wexford lifeboat arrived.